The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1887-04-15
our letter Box.
CONCERNING TIC (hmrches.

All success and all attainment is subiu-
gated to natural law. The engineer who
constructs bridge in violation of meehan-
zeal laws utterly fails in the essential prop
critics Of a bridge, the possibility OF the
greatest strain. Tie artist who paints a
picture, ignoring the harmony Of eolors,
never rayishes the senses The preacher
of the Gospel who seeks to quicken the
spiritual life Of his hearers, while their
surroundings tend to physical death, meas
urably fails Of his high calling 1t was
our privilege on last Sabbath morning 10
attend at one of the churches of the Dor
oGgh. The morning was a beautiful one.
I'm unclouded sun, with lile-giving warmth
in his beams, shed gladness over all. The
singing birds and springing grass bespoke
a new life ont of the dearih Of winter
All nature suggested the Que thought. ont
of death there comes life-a thought in
harmony with the mornings discourse
We entered the audience room Of the
church. we will not say which church for
these remarks may possibly apply to all.
Here we found tie cheer and ife-giying
Fight and warmth of the sun shut ont by
closed blinds and windows. A scent of
miasm pervaded the room, and the strain
ed light shed sombre hue over pulpit and
pew oh, for light and air and sunshine
to make this dedicated temple as bright
and pure as God S larger temple in which
insect and bird are singing his benedc-
tions. involuntary escaped our lips.
The theme Of the mornings discourse
was the grandest one that ever occu-
pied the thought of angels and of men.
The dissertion bespoke elaborate thought
and careful preparation. The earnestness
of the speaker 10 impress upon bis hearers
the central truth Of all scripture was such
as is beoctton Of a sense of responsibility.
The audience vas an arpreeiatiye one.
But to clese observer there was strain
ed effort to follow logical deduction and to
appreciate the fullness of the theme. Your
correspondent, to his modification be it
said. was, during the greater part of the
service, in that state OF coma III the which
he inyoiHntarily gave the speaker ''nod
Of assent that was not begotten of 4 spirit
of piety. Once again in the open air and
bright sunshine we felt ourselves 4 new
creature. With ritalized powers, be-
gotten of the oxygen of pure air, we
again took up the thread of the
discourse that we might profit withal.
Then came the question, why is
this thusa Why this lack of spirituality
so often evident in church worship? Is
there not some tangible physical cause?
And in the cause is there not solution of
the fact OF so many processing to pre-
fer communion with God in his larger tenn
pie rather than in his dedicated house. Is
not the non-attendance Of The masses ON
church worship blamable, to a large ex-
tent, on the church officiary? Light is
purity, light is life; air is yigor, air is life.
Without light aud air there is no life in
this world animal or spirit. Then let our
church officials throw open the blinds and
throw up the windows and thereby do a
coed work in dnc season. y good preach
er who attempts 10 address sleepy au-
dience, aud sleepy audience which at
tempts to listea TO good preacher, both
have my commiseration. Somewhere,
somehow. something Is out OF 1oint, ana